syllogism

syl·lo·gism  (sl-jzm)

n.

1. Logic A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All humans are mortal, the major premise, I am a human, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion.

2. Reasoning from the general to the specific; deduction.

3. A subtle or specious piece of reasoning.

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[Middle English silogisme, from Old French, from Latin syllogismus, from Greek sullogismos, from sullogizesthai, to infer : sun-, syn- + logizesthai, to count, reckon (from logos, reason; see leg- in Indo-European roots).]

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syllogism

Noun

a form of reasoning consisting of two premises and a conclusion, for example some temples are in ruins; all ruins are fascinating; so some temples are fascinating [Greek sullogismos]

syllogistic adj

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syllogism

a form of reasoning in which two propositions or premises are stated and a logical conclusion is drawn from them. Each premise has the subject-predicate form, and each shares a common element called the middle term.

See also: Logic

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a form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a logical conclusion is drawn from them. See also logic. — syllogistic, adj.

See also: Argumentation

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

syllogism - deductive reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises deductive reasoning, synthesis, deduction - reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect) ratiocination, conclusion - the proposition arrived at by logical reasoning (such as the proposition that must follow from the major and minor premises of a syllogism) major premise, major premiss - the premise of a syllogism that contains the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion) minor premise, minor premiss, subsumption - the premise of a syllogism that contains the minor term (which is the subject of the conclusion)